of his biographers assert, because this work
had been produced already at Baghdad during the brilliant Khalifate of
Mamun. There are various manuscripts of Averroes extant treating on
physics, pure mathematics, astronomy and astrology, from which it
would appear that, in spite of their encyclopaedic attainments, the
celebrated men of these times still believed in some popular errors.
Science was at that time surrounded by a kind of superstitious halo of
respect, to which Averroes, like so many others, is indebted for a
good part of his renown. He died A.D. 1198, in the city of Morocco;
his corpse was transferred to Cordova and there interred.

Medical science had already, under the second Khalif of the house of
Abbas (A.D. 754-775), enjoyed the highest honours, which it ever
afterwards retained. Great physicians were brought from the Persian
hospital of Jondshapur, and between the years A.D. 750 and 850 the
number of physicians was considerable, but only the most celebrated
will be noticed.

Georgios (Jorjis) bin Bakhtyeshun, of Jondshapur, lived at the
commencement of the Abbaside dynasty, and was the author of the book
of Pandects. When Al-Mansur was building the city of Baghdad he
suffered from pains in his stomach and from impotency, and Georgios,
the director of the medical college at Jondshapur, was recommended to
him as the most skilled physician of the time. Accordingly, the Khalif
directed Georgios and two of his pupils, Ibrahim and Serjis, to come
to Baghdad, appointing Gabriel (Jebrayl), the son of Georgios, as
director of the hospital in the place of his father. Georgios cured
Al-Mansur, and received from him three thousand ducats for his reward,
along with a beautiful slave girl; the latter was, however, returned
to the Khalif with thanks, and the remark that, 'being a Christian, he
could not keep more than one wife.' From that moment the physician
attained free access to the harem, and enjoyed high favour with the
Khalif, who greatly pressed him in A.D. 770 to make a profession of
Islam; but this he refused to do, and died shortly afterwards, in A.D.
771. Before his death Georgios asked to be allowed to return to
Jondshapur, to be buried there with his ancestors. Al-Mansur said,
'Fear God, and I guarantee you paradise.' Georgios replied, 'I am
satisfied to be with my ancestors, be it in paradise or be it in
hell.' The Khalif laughed, allowed him to return home, and presented
him with ten thousand pieces